The extent to which students' perceptions of faculties' teaching strategies, students' context, and perceptions of learner empowerment predict perceptions of autonomy in BSN students.

This descriptive correlational study examined the extent to which students' perceptions of faculties' teaching strategies, students' context, and perceptions of learner empowerment predicted perceptions of autonomy in senior female generic baccalaureate degree (BSN) students in Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. Dunkin and Biddle's Model for Classroom Teaching (1974) provided the theoretical framework for this study. The sample of 198 female senior nursing students was drawn from 32 nursing programs accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission [National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) 2002. Directory of accredited programs. Retrieved July 16, 2002 from, http://www.nlnac.org/]. Three separate instruments were used in this study: (1) Learner Empowerment Measure [Frymier, A.B., Shulman, G.M., Houser, M., 1996. The development of a learner empowerment measure. Communication Education, 45, 181-199.]; (2) Autonomy, Caring Perspective [Boughn, S., 1995. An instrument for measuring autonomy related attitudes and behaviors in women nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education, 34, 106-113.] and (3) an investigator designed student demographic data questionnaire. Data were analyzed using stepwise multiple linear regression to estimate path coefficients. Inspection of the findings revealed that there was a significant direct effect (t = 4.299, p < .001) between perceptions of learner empowerment and perceptions of autonomy. Age was also found to have a statistically significant direct effect on perceptions of autonomy (t = 2.652, p = .009). The findings from this study support a link between learner empowerment, stated as a priority in nursing education, and autonomy identified as a priority in practice.